


Leaving Paradise

by liraeth_archive



Category: The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-15
Updated: 2019-05-15
Packaged: 2020-03-05 16:39:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 555
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18832534
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/liraeth_archive/pseuds/liraeth_archive
Summary: Originally Published c. 2002





	Leaving Paradise

This fanfic was written circa 2002 under the penname Aya and is being added to AO3 for archiving purposes only.

 

Summary: After living in Valinor for many centuries, Legolas feels the need to return to Middle-earth and quench the bloodlust he has been feeling as of late. And he gets the opportunity to do so, too... but not as he'd expected.

 

***

 

He was at the beach again, the same place he had been for several days now. He didn’t move, just stared out across the water with remorse clear in his eyes. The others came occasionally and watched him sympathetically. How could anyone, they asked, be sad in such a wonderful place?

 This place was Valinor, the land that the Elves belonged to. But he didn’t belong here like the others. He was a warrior at heart; born and raised with a bow and knives. This was a place of peace. Nothing ever went wrong here; therefore there was no use for his skills. He was useless here.

 A breeze blew down the beach, stirring his blond hair and whipping it into his eyes. He moved then, lifting one pale hand to brush the golden strands back behind an ear. Then he rose, and walked over to the harbor.

 Hundreds of silver boats were here, never to be used again. They’d come from the Grey Havens, used to cross the sea in the coming to Valinor. Now, he would use one to return home.

 As he untied the boat, a familiar form appeared down the beach. As it got closer, he could make out the shorter form of his good friend Gimli. Gone were the grey strands in his hair, and he looked as young as when he’d first met him.

 ‘Legolas.’ Gimli’s voice was anxious. ‘The Lady said you would be leaving soon. Why are you going?’

 Blue eyes focused on the Dwarf for a moment before returning to his task. ‘I don’t know.’ Legolas said at last. ‘There is a longing in my heart to return to Middle-earth. The calling of the sea is gone. Now I must follow the calling of my warrior blood. Something is not right there; they need my help.’

 Gimli nodded in understanding. ‘I will not stand in your way.’ He said. ‘But I ask that you will return someday. When the longing for blood is gone.’

 He nodded. ‘Someday.’

~

 He recognized these trees almost immediately. He’d landed just north of the Havens, in the small town of Mithlond. Nighttime had fallen, and none were out as his sliver ship silently entered the harbor and beached.

 A pen of horses was nearby; horses, he realized, that had been ridden by the Elves going to the Grey Havens. None of these horses would be his, of course. He had been in Valinor for close on a millennia. But perhaps there would be a horse there that he could use.

 One horse approached him almost immediately, and he recognized it as a steed of Rohan. Perhaps some descendent of Arod, the beast he’d ridden during the Ringwar all those years ago. With a silent apology to the owner of the stable, he led the horse from the yard, mounted it, and was gone.

 His aim was to be in the Shire by morning. From there, reaching Imladris would be easy. 


End file.
